A new sensitive x‐ray monochromator and detector system for performing extended x‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements in the laboratory is described. The monochromator combines x‐ray focusing optics with rapid elemental tunability. The detection system effectively removes glitches from the data stream, regardless of whether they are due to impurity lines from the x‐ray source or if they are due to random instabilities in the incident beam. Used together with a high intensity rotating anode x‐ray source, this system can provide synchrotronlike photon intensities, flexibility and resolution, with the easy access and control possible only in the laboratory.